Peg for tennis-nets, &amp;c.



M. B. REACH.

PEG FOR TENNIS NETS, 6w.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1914.

Patented Dec. 8. 1914.

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MILTON B. REACH, OF CHICOPEE, MASSACHUSETTS.

PEG- FOR TENNIS-NETS, 85o.

Application filed July 11, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON B. ItnAornh citizen of the United States, residlng 1n Chicopee, Hampden county, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pegs for Tennisblets, &c., of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

In securing tennis nets in position for play and in various other sports the guylines are commonly secured to pegs whlch are forced into the ground. The guy-lines are extended at an oblique angle to the surface of the ground and the strains are therefore exerted upon the tops of the pegs at an oblique angle. For convenience in setting up the nets, etc., the pegs have been made heretofore of a suitable metal rod sharpened at one end and having at the other end a loop which can be grasped by the hand in pushing the peg into the ground as well as in pulling it out. Heretofore such looped pegs have been formed in such manner that the peg has no extended bearlng upon the surface of the ground and the result has been that the strain of the guy-line on the peg has had a tendency to produce lateral movement of the peg in the ground and consequently to loosen the peg so that it does not perform efficiently its intended purpose.

In accordance with the present invention the peg is formed with bends or loops of wire extending therefrom so as to constitute a bearing surface upon the surface of the ground at the side of the peg and to cooperate with the peg in such a manner as to resist much better than in ordinary pegs, the tendency of the peg to become loosened through angular strains from the guy-line. Further, the improved peg is preferably formed from a single piece of wire so bent as to constitute a T-head which rests on the surface of the ground in the manner described, and may assist the main bearing surface of the loop in taking up lateral or angular strains on the peg in any direction.

Through the extremities of the T-head thus formed may be passed additional anchoring pegs to give a greater anchoring surface and insure complete stability of the peg.

The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which it is illustrated and in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation show- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Serial No. 850,302.

ing a portion of a tennis net with the post at one end thereof, the guy-lines and pegs to which they are secured. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views, on a larger scale, of one of the pegs. Fig. 4 shows a suitable form of anchor pin which may be used to maintain the cross-head of the improved peg in position on the ground.

In the drawings the improved peg is illustrated as employed for the purpose of securing a tennis net in position for play, but it will be understood that it can be used for many similar purposes.

In the drawing, the net a is shown as supported by posts 6 (only one of which is shown), while the latter is held against the tension of the net by guy-lines 0 which are connected to the post near its upper end and are secured at their lower and outer ends to pegs (Z which are driven into the ground. Each peg, as shown, is formed of a single piece of suitable metal rod or wire with a shank (Z rounded at its lower end and provided at its upper end with a right angled bend, as at (Z the wire extending outwardly in a plane at right angles to the shank cl for some little distance and being reversely bent upon itself on an easy curve, as at (F, and extending parallel with its first named direction for preferably an equal distance on the opposite side of the shank where it is again reversely bent upon itself on an easy curve, as at cl, and extended inward to the shank, the formation thus described constituting a T-head for the shank, the bends of which lie in substantially the same plane. The T-head thus formed is adapted to rest on the ground when the peg is in use to resist angular strains applied to the peg. The easy curves (Z3 and cl are made so as to leave eyes (Z through which may be passed anchor pins 6 of the form shown in Fig. 4 or of any other approved form. These anchor pins may be formed with a button head e, a ring head or with any other suitable projection to bring about the desired cooperation with the T-head of the peg.

lVhen the wire has been extended into the shank d from the easy curve d all as above described, it is again bent, as at 03*,

downwardly and substantially at right angles to the T-head so as to pass under the first described bonds of the wire constituting one side of the T-head, whereupon it is again bent reversely upon itself, as at d, to

pass around and embrace completely the bends which constitute the T-head, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. After thus being passed around the bends of the T-head the wire is extended from the head in a direction substantially at right angles thereto and in a' plane at substantially a right angle from the plane in which lies the shank d after which it is bent upwardly and backwardly toward the line of the shank, as at (Z8, and is then carriedsubstantially straight, as at (P, nearly to the line of the shank cl and is then bent downwardly, as at (P toward the shank. The loop thus formed constitutes a hand-hold by which the peg can be pushed into the ground and by which it can be drawn out of the ground and it mav also furnish, as at (Z or thereabout, a flat bearing on the surface of the ground. If desired, the portion of the bend indicated at (Z ma be made to lie in substantially the plane of the under surface of the T-head so as to bear directly against the ground and form with the oppositelv extending bends of the T-head, a three-point bearing surface at all times. But whether the bend (Z does in fact lie against the ground at all times or whether it is brought into engagement therewith at times, it will be appreciated that the T-head forms an ample and relatively great bearing surface for the peg so as to resist angular strains applied thereto in any direction. Moreover, the anchor pegs e which pass through the eyes adjacent the opposite ends of the T-head cooperate with the main shank (Z to increase the anchoring surface and bring about greater rigidity than is usual with pegs having a single spike.

It will also be appreciated that the peg illustrated is of simple construction, may be formed easily from a single piece of wire and at relatively little expense and is arranged with such convolutions as to insure maximum rigidity of the T-head with the shank and the hand loop.

I claim as my invention 1. A peg for tennis nets, etc., comprising a substantially straight shank, a hand loop at the other end thereof, and a cross-piece to bear upon the surface of the ground.

2. A peg for tennis nets, etc., comprising a substantially straight shank, a hand loop at the other end thereof, and a cross-piece to bear upon the surface of the ground and formed to receive anchor pins.

3. A peg for tennis nets, etc., comprising a substantially straight shank bent at its upper end to form a T-head therefor having a somewhat extended flat portion on the underside of the head to bear upon the surface of the ground, and having also a hand loop formed at the upper end of the shank, the hand loop extending at substantially right angles to the T-head.

at. A peg for tennis nets, etc., comprising a substantially straight shank bentat its upper end to form a T-head therefor having a somewhat extended fiat portion on the underside of the head to bear upon the surface of the ground, the head having eyes formed adjacent its extremities to receive anchor pins, the peg also having a hand loop formed at the upper end of the shank, the hand loop extending at substantially right angles to the T-head.

This specification signed and witnessed this 8th day of July, A. D., 1914.

MILTON B. REACH. Signed in the presence of M. JAMnso I. M. CONVERSE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. c. 

